Understand Windows device categories for AI-powered work

  • 2 minutes

Organizations can choose from different categories of Windows devices depending on their workflow, management, and AI requirements. As AI experiences continue to evolve, different devices provide different levels of AI capability and performance.

Understanding these categories helps organizations evaluate which devices best align with their business needs and AI adoption goals.

Windows 11 Pro PCs

Windows 11 Pro PCs support cloud-connected AI experiences and modern productivity workflows while providing the security, manageability, and compatibility organizations expect from Windows devices.

Organizations can use Windows 11 Pro PCs to:

  • Access cloud-based AI services such as Microsoft Copilot
  • Support productivity and collaboration across Microsoft 365 applications
  • Maintain security and compliance using Windows 11 Pro management capabilities
  • Enable modern work experiences across a wide range of device types

These devices primarily rely on cloud-connected services for AI-powered experiences.

Copilot+ PCs

Copilot+ PCs are a category of Windows 11 Pro devices designed to support advanced AI experiences through powerful NPUs capable of 40+ TOPS (trillions of operations per second).

These devices support:

  • Advanced on-device AI processing
  • Real-time AI experiences with lower latency
  • AI-powered features integrated directly into Windows 11
  • Hybrid AI workflows that combine local and cloud processing

Copilot+ PCs are designed to help organizations support modern AI-driven workflows while maintaining flexibility, responsiveness, and security.

Comparing Windows device categories

Device category AI capability focus
Windows 11 Pro PCs Cloud-connected AI experiences
Copilot+ PCs Advanced on-device AI experiences powered by NPUs with 40+ TOPS

Not all AI experiences require on-device processing. Some AI features rely primarily on cloud-based services, while others benefit from local AI acceleration through NPUs.

Copilot+ PCs are designed to support AI experiences that combine on-device responsiveness with the scale and flexibility of cloud-connected AI services.